Bob Dylan picks up welder's torch to create his first public artwork

Bob Dylan, who for decades has made his international fame in song and word, is putting on display his talents as a sculptor of iron — the metal that gives its name to the land where he was raised.

As part of the MGM National Harbor near the nation's capital, slated to open in December, a sculpted iron archway created by the 75-year-old folk/rock legend will adorn the west entrance as part of the property's art collection and become his "first permanent work of art for a public space," the gambling house announced Wednesday.

Dylan, who grew up in Hibbing on the Iron Range, has sculpted iron pieces for family and friends for the past 30 years, and he's also dabbled in painting and sketching.

In 2013, at a London exhibition, his metal artwork was first viewed publicly. His works feature found objects, vintage scrap metal and industrial artifacts collected from junkyards. The items have included farm equipment, toys, kitchen utensils, chains, cogs, axes and wheels.

"Portal" measures 26 by 15 feet and will feature an array of objects that Dylan selected.

Guests will walk through the sculpture as they enter the new resort in suburban Maryland.

"Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow," Dylan said in a statement accompanying the casino's announcement. "They can be closed, but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways, there is no difference."

The casino's art collection will feature pieces from more than a dozen artists working with aluminum, clay, stainless steel, bronze, watercolors, photography and other mediums.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482